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On March 8, several people will start hitting the park or gym regularly as they take part in Penhold’s third annual Active Living Challenge.

Leanne Worr, recreation and events coordinator at the Town of Penhold, said the idea originally came from Red Deer’s Rise Up challenge, in which a number of Penhold residents took part. Worr wondered why they couldn’t do the same in their community.

"We want to help people make it very easy to exercise," said Worr.

The challenge lasts 21 days because, as Worr said, habits take three weeks to form. Participants are encouraged to exercise at least 30 minutes per day, and keep track of their minutes. People register in groups of five so there’s a support system. A total of nine teams signed up for the challenge.

"When you’re exercising alone, it’s easy to skip," said Worr. "But when there’s four other people on your team, you’re accountable."

At the end of the challenge, over $500 in prizes will be handed out, including a $150 cash prize that every participant, no matter their minutes, gets a ballot for.

But the end of the challenge isn’t the end of the commitment. Worr said that she’s received calls from several participants from the previous challenges who say that they’re still exercising 30 minutes per day.

"There’s a lot of people who think they don’t have the time, but the challenge shows them they can find the time," said Worr.

The Active Living Challenge is just one of several measures that Penhold’s Healthy Living Team, of which Worr is a part, is taking to make Penhold’s citizens healthier.

Last year Penhold was named the highest achieving town in Southern Alberta in the Communities ChooseWell, put on by Alberta Recreation and Parks Association.